NHTSA: 4.7M Vehicles Need Defective Air Bags Replaced

On Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
issued a press release urging drivers of 4.7 million recalled vehicles
to have their defective air bags replaced immediately, an unusual alert
that follows up on several recalls announced earlier in 2014.

According to The New York Times, Takata, an
automotive parts maker based in Japan, said that the propellant in some
of its air bags is defective. While propellant typically burns quickly
and produces gas to inflate air bags, the manufacturer said that the
propellant in certain air bags is too strong and may rupture its
container. This could potentially cause metal particles to shoot out at
the driver or other front-seat passengers. The defective airbags have
reportedly caused injuries, such as burns from
explosions and cuts from shrapnel, and have even been linked to two
deaths, the Times reported.

The consumer advisory alert said that drivers of
certain Honda, Toyota, BMW, Nissan, GM and Mazda vehicles should “act
immediately” to have the recalled air bags replaced. The Administration
said that the message was especially urgent for drivers in states with
humid climates, including Florida and Hawaii, as Takata believes that
the problem is more likely to occur in places with high humidity, the
Times reported.

Also on Monday, Toyota expanded its previous
recall over these air bags to include an additional 247,000 vehicles.
According to the notice, Takata provided Toyota
with data indicating that some of its air bags performed improperly
during testing, and the manufacturer is currently investigating the
effects of humidity on the recalled air bags. Under the recall, Toyota
dealers will replace the passenger airbag inflators in affected vehicles
for free.

The 4.7 million vehicles affected by the regional recalls include:

Honda: 2.8 million vehicles potentially affected

2001 to 2007 Honda Accord (4 cyl)

2001 to 2002 Honda Accord (6 cyl)

2001 to 2005 Honda Civic

2002 to 2006 Honda CR-V

2003 to 2011 Honda Element

2002 to 2004 Honda Odyssey

2003 to 2007 Honda Pilot

2006 Honda Ridgeline

2003 to 2006 Acura MDX

2002 to 2003 Acura TL/CL

Toyota: 780,000 vehicles potentially affected

2002 to 2004 Lexus SC

2003 to 2004 Toyota Corolla

2003 to 2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix

2002 to 2004 Toyota Sequoia

2003 to 2004 Toyota Tundra

2003 to 2004 Pontiac Vibe

BMW: 580,000 vehicles potentially affected

2000 to 2005 3 Series Sedan

2000 to 2006 3 Series Coupe

2000 to 2005 3 Series Sports Wagon

2000 to 2006 3 Series Convertible

2001 to 2006 M3 Coupe

2001 to 2006 M3 Convertible

Nissan: 440,000 vehicles potentially affected

2001 to 2003 Nissan Maxima

2001 to 2003 Nissan Pathfinder

2002 to 2003 Nissan Sentra

2001 to 2003 Infinity I30/I35

2002 to 2003 Infiniti QX4

2003 Infinity FX

General Motors: 133,000 vehicles potentially affected

2002 to 2003 Buick LeSabre

2002 to 2003 Buick Rendezvous

2002 to 2003 Cadillac DeVille

2002 to 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer

2002 to 2003 Chevrolet Impala

2002 to 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

2002 to 2003 Chevrolet Venture

2002 to 2003 GMC Envoy

2002 to 2003 GMC Envoy XL

2002 to 2003 Oldsmobile Aurora

2002 to 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada

2002 to 2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette

2002 to 2003 Pontiac Bonneville

2002 to 2003 Pontiac Montana

Mazda: 18,000 vehicles potentially affected

2003 to 2004 Mazda6

2004 Mazda RX-8

Drivers who are unsure whether their vehicles may be included in the
Takata air bag recall can use the NHTSA’s new VIN lookup service to see whether their vehicles may be subject to this or
any other recall. If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective
air bag, contact us today to find out how we
can help.